AfriGeneas Adoption Forum

Race and International Adoptions

Will Americans Continue to Adopt From China?
Race and International Adoptions
by Solangel Maldonado

Starting in May 2007, China will tighten its requirements for foreigners seeking to adopt. Foreigners who are obese, unmarried, or over 50 years of age will be barred from adopting from China as will those with certain health “problems,” including a history of anxiety or depression. China will also require that adoptive parents have a net worth of at least $80,000, a high school diploma, and have been married at least two years. In cases where one spouse had previously been divorced, the couple must have been married for at least five years.

Given these restrictions and the high cost of international adoptions ($20,000 to $35,000 for adoption fees, donations to orphanages, travel and lodging expenses, etc.), one might expect Americans’ interest in adopting children from China, the vast majority of whom are girls, to decrease in the near future. This is unlikely for a number of reasons. First, China’s new policies are not as restrictive as those of some other sending countries. Second, there is very high demand for Chinese girls. The question is why is demand so high. One reason is gender. The majority of persons seeking to adopt want a girl and, while some countries do not allow parents to select the gender of the child, if you adopt from China, you will get a girl.